New York Notes: Wright, A-Rod, Tejada, Ellsbury

Alex Rodriguez’s health problems have made him the Yankees’ full-time DH while David Wright’s spinal stenosis makes him questionable for even the modest 120-game plan the Mets originally slated for the star third baseman. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, the health issues faced by these two stars have led to roster flexibility problems for both teams. The Mets don’t have a left-handed hitting utility option available, and Sherman suggests that players like Yangervis Solarte, Derek Dietrich, Luis Valbuena could be good fits as potential trade targets if they’re made available. The Yankees could use both an extra reliever and a versatile infielder as their 25th man, since depth is a need with so many aging stars in both the lineup and rotation. This is a reason why the Yankees didn’t want to give a big league deal to a veteran infielder, as the club hopes Rob Refsnyder can also learn to play third. On the external help front, Sherman suggests that Cody Asche makes sense as a trade target when healthy.

X-rays and a CT scan were negative on Jacoby Ellsbury’s right wrist after the outfielder was hit by a pitch yesterday, though he tells reporters (including Lennon) and his wrist “is in a bad spot” and may need some time for the inflammation to die down. With this and the Yankees’ spring schedule in mind, Ellsbury likely won’t play until Thursday at the earliest, as per Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

There’s an open spot in the Mets’ bullpen with Josh Edgin still recovering from Tommy John surgery, and ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin looks at some of the roster logistics that could factor into the competition between Erik Goeddel and Jim Henderson. It could end up being a short-term gig for either pitcher as Edgin hopes to be back by the start of May.

Comments

90% chance Ellsbury’s wrist injury lingers and he misses at least a couple months. His bones are made of paper mache. Thank god my Sox were smart enough to not offer Ells anything close to that crazy contract the Yankees gave him, he’s not worth half of what NY is paying him. Mookie is way better anyway.

The Sox could have offered Ellsbury a Ferrari factory, the Taj Mahal and his face on Mount Rushmore and he wasn’t staying in Boston. There were too many hard feelings when he sat out 144 games with a couple of broken ribs. Some players have the natural “fire in the belly”, some are like Jacoby.

Pablo had a weight problem at 25 so at 30 its twice as hard to lose weight. As for Porcello he has always been a good or bad pitcher. He is not a #1 or #2 starter. If sox are lucky he can be a #3 or #4 starter that is if they are lucky. If it wasn’t for the Boston bis media the sox would be called a .500 team. The media is the only thing that makes them a contender not their lineup.

Ellsbury is the perfect face of the franchise. Roster chalked full of fragile players whose best years are behind them. Imagine the team poster entitled Bronx Bombs with Ellsbury, Beltran, Teixeira, Arod and Sabathia wincing.

Because if Headley gets hurt, they’re stuck with Refsnyder, whose never played a non-ST game at 3B in his career, playing there everyday with A-Rod as the backup.
Mix that with the fact that if Refsnyder would need to go play 3B (or 2B), Ackley would be their primary utility man.
Its more about depth than anything.